Nine Ukrainian Children Rescued from Russian-Occupied Territories
Nine more Ukrainian children have been successfully returned from Russian-occupied territories, the Office of the President of Ukraine confirmed on May 22. The children had been unlawfully held in occupied regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts—areas currently under partial Russian military control.
The operation was carried out by the initiative of the President of Ukraine Brings Kids Back UA, which involves cooperation between the Office of the President, the Ombudsman’s Office, and humanitarian partners, including Save Ukraine, an NGO focused on returning children abducted or trapped behind the front line.
These children endured unimaginable conditions under occupation:
- One girl nearly died due to the lack of basic medical care.
- A boy was rescued after being held in a basement with his mother, while his father was tortured in the next room.
- Two sisters spent nearly three years confined to their home, surrounded by shelling and Russian tanks.
- Another girl was cut off from her education after the occupiers blocked access to Ukrainian online classes.
At school, children were forced to praise the occupiers. Now, they are finally safe—but their stories are a reminder of what thousands more still face.
According to Daria Herasymchuk, the President’s Advisor on Children’s Rights and Rehabilitation, this marks the 14th such operation, bringing the total number of rescued children through official channels to 241. She noted that while the number is significant, it represents only a fraction of the thousands of Ukrainian children who remain separated from their families due to Russia’s invasion.
“These are not just statistics,” Herasymchuk said in a public statement. “Each rescued child is a life returned to safety, and each is a reminder that there are many more we must still bring home.”
The returned children were reunited with their families in Ukrainian-controlled territory. Authorities reported that many of the children had been subjected to isolation, Russian-language indoctrination, and pressure to renounce their Ukrainian identity. Psychological support and reintegration services are being provided by state agencies and humanitarian organizations.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Russia has faced widespread international condemnation for the forcible transfer of Ukrainian children. The practice has been described by Ukrainian officials and international legal bodies as a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova over the deportations.
Estimates vary, but Ukrainian authorities believe over 19,500 children have been forcibly taken or separated from their families in Russian-occupied territories or deported to Russia. Many have been placed in so-called “summer camps” in Crimea or the Russian Federation, and in some cases, adopted into Russian families without consent or due legal process.
The rescue operations are complex and often dangerous. They require coordination across front lines, negotiation with intermediaries, and logistical support in unstable areas. Humanitarian groups report that some families seeking to recover their children have been detained or threatened by occupation authorities.
Ukraine Demands Return of Kidnapped Children for Peace Agreement
Despite these challenges, Ukrainian officials remain committed to the recovery of every child. The Office of the President reiterated its call for international partners to support Ukraine’s efforts, not only by applying diplomatic pressure on Russia, but by helping trace and document the whereabouts of children still missing.
